Before the mass commenced I was Introduced to a former Mallow resident, Eamonn Heffernan, who now resides in Co Wicklow for the last 25 years.

I assumed that he had been visiting Mallow for reasons other than the mass but, in fact, his journey was for that reason alone.

On further investigation by his friend Liam Sheehan, it turned out he had read Eugene Cosgrove's 'Around Mallow' column that week and read all about the events of the town and surroundings.

This is testament to the power of Eugene's fantastic talent and the essence of community spirit, which fills his every line.

He truly captures the heart and soul of the town with his personalised accounts of the passing of local people who are held so dear, births, joyous occasions, sporting events or things of historical and general interest.

In these times, where our community spirit is one of the few things remaining of any real worth, Eugene is at the forefront and we, here at Mallow GAA, hope he continues his excellent work for years to come. Yours Sincerely, Gary O'donovan, PRO, CLCG Maghealla